Know the Etymology: 221
Place Name of the Day: Thursday, 23 August 2012

Amu’nu-kumbura

அமுணு கும்புர
Amuṇu kumbura

Amu'nu+kumbura

The field that could be sown with one Amu’na of paddy

The field irrigated by a temporary dam

Amu’na

(singular), Amu’nu (plural) 1. A cubic measure of grain, usually of 8 Pa’rai, equivalent to 5 or 6 bushels (Sinhala); A measure of land that could be sown with one Amu’na of paddy, usually 2 or 2 ½ acres of land (Sinhala); Ava'nam: A cubic measure of paddy as well as measure of land (Eezham Tamil, Vanni and East); Ampa’nam: A cubic measure of grain (Tamil, DED 263); Ama’nam, Ava’nam: A measure of 20,000 arecanuts (Tamil, DED 263); Ava’nam: A weight measure (Malayalam, DED 263); Amba’na, Amma’na: A measure of capacity (Pali); Arma’na: A measure of one dro’na (Sanskrit, CDIAL 688). 2. Amu’na: (singular), Amu’nu (plural): A temporary dam for diverting or stopping the water of a stream for the purpose of irrigation, the bank in a paddy field (Sinhala); Amu’nu-bandinawaa: (verb) To construct a dam, to stop up a watercourse to irrigate the fields (Sinhala); Am, Aam: Water (Tamil, DED 187); Ampa’nam: Gutter for rainwater, narrow watercourse (Tamil, Changkam Diction). See column on Ampaara, Ampanai

Kumbura

(singular), Kumburu (plural): Paddy field (Sinhala); Kampalai: Agricultural tract (Tamil, DED 1237); Kampa’lar: Inhabitants of an agricultural tract (Tamil, DED 1237); Kambula, Kambu’la: A buffaloa race in a rice field (Tulu, DED 1239); Kamba’la: Feast given in a field at transplantation time (Kodagu, DED 1238); Daily hire or wages (Kannada, DED 1238); Kemparai: Grain basket (Tamil, DED 1243); Kamam: Paddy field (Eezham Tamil); Kamam: Bounty, fullness (Tamil, Changkam Diction); Kamata: Threshing floor of a paddy field (Sinhala); Kaman: Forest (Gondi, Pengo, DED 1228); Kama’n: Forest (Manda, DED 1228); Kam’na: Park, grove, forest (Kuwi, DED 1228); Kambare: Uncultivated ground (Maltese, DED 1228). Also see column on Muthaliyaar-kamam

In Sinhala, the word Amu’nu (Amu’na in singular) is used in two shades of meaning.

In one of the shades, Amu’na is an old cubic measure of grain equivalent to 8 Pa’rai. It is 5 bushels of paddy in Kandyan region, but 6 bushels in the Colombo region.

Amu’na as a cubic measure for native produces of the island was widely found used even in the colonial records of the Portuguese and the Dutch.

In the sense of meaning as a cubic measure for paddy, the word Amu’na also stood for the space measure of a cultivable land that could be sown with one Amu’na of paddy. It was roughly two acres in the Kandyan region and two and a half acres in the Colombo region. There were similar usages for the word Koaddai in the Tamil of Tamil Nadu.

In the Eezham Tamil usage, especially in Vanni and in the East, the word Ava'nam is mentioned even today by the old generation to mean a measure of paddy or a measure of paddy field.

In the other shade of the meaning, Ama’na in Sinhala is related to hydraulics. It is a temporary dam for diverting or stopping the water of a stream for the purpose of irrigation or the bank in a paddy field.

The Sinhala usage, Amu’nu-bandinawaa means to construct a dam or to stop up a watercourse to irrigate the fields.

The word Amu’nu/ Amu’na comes in both the shades of meaning in the Sinhala place names.

In both the shades, the Sinhala word is a cognate of the Tamil word Ampa’nam.

The Tamil cognate Ampa’nam as a grain measure, with derivatives such as Ama’nam and Ava’nam, is listed as a Dravidian word (DED 263).

Ampa’nam as a gutter for water or a narrow watercourse, found used in the Changam diction and listed in the old Tamil lexicons, is related to the root Am/ Aam meaning water in Tamil/ Dravidian (DED 187) as well as in Sinhala.

In the sense of meaning connected to water, Ampa’nam also means a boat in Tamil (Choodaamani lexicon 11: 182). Another example for boat and cubic measure having a homonym is the word Va’l’lam (boat, eating or drinking vessel, a large grain measure, a large grain basket, DED 5315).

It seems that the Tamil/ Sinhala cognates Ampa’nam and Ama’na in both their shades of meaning, cubic measure and hydraulics, are related to the stem Am, meaning water.

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Note the following usage examples:

Ampa’nam as a measure for paddy:

“Nellin ampa’na a’lavai virinthu u’rai poakiya aar patham nalkum” (Pathittuppaththu 66:8-9)

“நெல்லின் அம்பண அளவை விரிந்து உறை போகிய ஆர் பதம் நல்கும்” (பதிற்றுப்பத்து 66:8-9)

Immeasurable quantity of food coming from the gift of overwhelming Ampa’na measures of paddy

Grain merchants measuring with Ampa’nam:

Ni’rai koal thulaaththar, pa’raikkad paraaraiyar
Ampa’na a’lavaiyar, engka’num thiritharak
Kaalam an’riyum karungka’ri moodaiyodu
Koolam kuviththa koola veethiyum (Chilappathikaaram 14: 208-11)

நிறை கோல் துலாத்தர், பறைக்கட் பராரையர்
அம்பண அளவையர், எங்கணும் திரிதரக்
காலம் அன்றியும் கருங்கறி மூடையொடு
கூலம் குவித்த கூல வீதியும் (சிலப்பதிகாரம் 14: 208-11)

The street of grain merchants, where irrespective of seasons grains are heaped along with bags of black pepper, and where (the merchants) those who wield scales, those who are noisy with their Pa’rai measure (a smaller measure than Ampa’nam) and those who measure with Ampa’nam wander everywhere

Ama’nam as measure for areca nuts:

“Paakku chuvanthiram pokkaayam u'lppada ama’naththukku moon’ru maappa’namum” (1614 CE, South Indian Inscriptions IV, 401)

“பாக்கு சுவந்திரம் பொக்காயம் உள்ப்பட அமணத்துக்கு மூன்று மாப்பணமும்” (1614 CE, South Indian Inscriptions IV, 401)

Areca nuts, inclusive of rights and taxes, three Maa-pa’nam (of money) for one Ama’nam (of measure)



Ampa’nam as gutter:

“Nilavup payan ko’l’lum neduve’n muttaththu kimpurip pakuvaay ampa’nam ni’raiyak kalizhnthu veezh aruvippaadu vi’ranthu” (Nedunalvaadai 96-97)

“நிலவுப் பயன் கொள்ளும் நெடுவெண் முற்றத்து கிம்புரிப் பகுவாய்
அம்பணம் நிறையக் கலிழ்ந்து வீழ் அருவிப்பாடு விறந்து” (நெடுநல்வாடை 96-97)

From the grand white terrace meant for enjoying moonlight, resembling the sound of a stream, rainwater would fall turbulently through the full gutter, the mouth of which is shaped like the gaping mouth of a shark.

Ampa’nam as aqueduct, gutter or narrow watercourse:

“Neerp paththarkku ampa’nam thoompu nearpa” (Thivaakaram Lexicon 7:207)

“நீர்ப் பத்தர்க்கு அம்பணம் தூம்பு நேர்ப” (திவாகரம் நிகண்டு 7:207)

Ampa’nam and Thoompu are words for aqueduct

* * *

Kumburu (Kumbura in singular) is a popular word in Sinhala and a popular component in Sinhala toponyms, meaning a paddy field.

The word has no Indo-Aryan cognates and the closest cognate is Kampalai in old Tamil/ Dravidian, meaning a paddy field or agricultural tract.

Note the L > R; A > U and P > B changes that are typical between Tamil and Sinhala.

Kampalai, meaning an agricultural tract, is listed as a Dravidian word (DED 1237).

The word has several related words in Tamil and many other Dravidian languages, in connection to paddy cultivation.

For instance, Kampa’lar is people of agricultural tract and Kemparai is a grain basket in Tamil; Kambula is a baffaloa race conducted in a paddy field in Tulu and Kamba’la is feast given in the paddy field at the transplantation time in Kodagu and daily wages in Kannada.

The word Kamam, popular in Eezham Tamil and meaning a paddy field, is perhaps related to the root of the word Kampalai/ Kumburu.

A traceable root Kama means bounty in Tamil. Another traceable root Kam meaning profession, water etc in old Tamil as well as in Indo-Aryan, may need perusal.

Kamam and words connected to its root meaning forest, park, grove etc in other Dravidian languages Gondi, Pengo, Manda and Kuwi also should be noted in this respect, as forest and paddy field are known to have homonyms (Kaadu is one example). Maltese has a related word Kambare for uncultivated land. See table above.

Kamam and Kumburu for paddy field are peculiar to Eezham Tamil and Sinhala.

The Sinhala form Kumburu, with a rendering Kumpu’ru, is also occasionally found used in the Eezham Tamil place names. See the examples of related place names.

* * *

“Aka’ni…kampalai…marutham” (Thivaakaram Nika’ndu, c. 8th century CE, 5:899)

“அகணி…கம்பலை…மருதம்” (திவாகரம் நிகண்டு, 5:899)

The words, Aka’ni, Kampalai etc mean agricultural tract



“Ka’lamar…kampa’lar …kazhanik kadaiththavar peyarea” (Thivaakaram Nika’ndu, 2:139)

“களமர்…கம்பளர் …கழனிக் கடைத்தவர் பெயரே” (திவாகரம் நிகண்டு, 2:139)

Ka’lamar, Kampa’lar etc are names for people of the agricultural tract

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Amu’nu-kumbura is a village in Mahara division of Gampaha district

* * *

Some related place names:

Amu’nu:

Amu’nu-goda: The bank/ hill/ village having cultivable land irrigated by a temporary dam; the bank/ hill/ village having a field that could be sown with one Amu’na of paddy; Gampaha division, Gampaha district

Amu’nu-gama: The village having cultivated field irrigated by a temporary dam; Kundasale division, Kandy district; Ampanpola division, Kurunegala district; Wariyapola division, Kurunegala district; Polgahawela division, Kurunegala district

Amu’nu-thenna: The place of a cultivation field irrigated by a temporary dam; The place of a cultivation field that could be sown with one Amu’na of paddy; Ratnapura division, Ratnapura district

Amu’nu-wætiya: The bank or dam for irrigation and cultivation and serve as a pathway; The enclosure cultivated by irrigation from the temporary dam; Ipalogama division, Anuradhapura district. Wætiya: Bank of a river, pond, lake etc; artificial bank, dam, banks in the rice fields, which dam in the water and serves as pathways (Sinhala); Wætu: Road, path (Sinhala); Wæta: An enclosure of any kind, hedge, fence (Sinhala); Vaddai: paddy field enclosure (Eezham Tamil); from the root Va’lai, Vaddam (Tamil, DED 5313); Veddu: (verb) To cut, (noun) cutting (Tamil, DED 5478); Also stands for a break, barrier as in another Eezham Tamil word Mu’rippu for a dam.

Amu’nu-wewa: The tank made by a temporary dam; The tank of the paddy fields irrigated by a temporary dam; The tank of the field that could be sown with an Amu’na of paddy

Amu’nu-kole: Sinhalicised from Amu’nu-ku’lam: The tank made by a temporary dam; The tank of the paddy fields irrigated by a temporary dam; The tank of the field that could be sown with an Amu’na of paddy; Thalawa division, Anuradhapura district

* * *

Kumburu:

Kumburu-gamuwa: The village of paddy fields; Kolonna division, Ratnapura district

Goda-kumbura: The paddy fields in the bank or hill; Balangoda division, Ratnapura district

Yaal-kumbura: The fields that could be sown with a cartload or 20 Amu’nams of paddy (roughly 50 acres); Bibile division, Moneragala district. Yaala: Measure of capacity, cartload, twenty Amu’nams of grain (Sinhala)

Linda-kumbura: The paddy fields irrigated by a well; Bibile division, Moneragala district

Wangkiya-kumbura: The paddy fields in the bend of the river; Welimada division, Badulla district. Wangka: Bend of a river, winding course of a stream, curve or bend in general (Sinhala); Vangku: hole, hollow; Vaangku: (verb) To bend; (noun) Bending (Tamil, DED 5212, 5335, with cognates in several Dravidian languages); Vangkam: Ship, due to the shape? (Tamil); Vangka: Crooked, bend of river (Pali/ Prakrit, CDIAL 11191)

Maa-withi-kumbura: Probably, the fields for the cultivation of Maa-vee variety of paddy; Welimada division, Badulla district

Hela-yaal-kumbura: The fields in the hillock or declivity where a cartload of paddy could be sown; Welimada division, Badulla district. Hela: hillock, declivity (Sinhala)

Korade-kumbura: The paddy fields having an enclosure or a sort of fence preventing cattle trespass; Uva-paranagama division, Badulla district. Koratu: enclosure; Koratuwa: a sort of fence in order to prevent cattle trespass (Sinhala); from the type of fences made of wooden logs and planks; Ko’radu: Trunk of a lopped tree, stump, piece of wood (Kannada, Telugu DED 1842); Ku’radu: block of wood, wooden plank (Tamil, Malayalam, DED 1842); Koradoo: log, stump (Tulu, DED 1842); Ku’randu: log (Malayalam, DED 1842)

Aarawa-kumbura: The paddy fields of the river; Lunugala division, Badulla district

Ekiriyan-kumbura: Probably, the paddy fields in the gravel or pebble ground; Rideemaliyadda division, Badulla district; Akura: gravel, pebble (Sinhala)

Pile-kumbura: probably from Peella-kumbura: The paddy field irrigated by a gutter or aqueduct. Peella: Spout, aqueduct, conduit, gutter (Sinhala); Peeli: Water trough or spout for irrigation (Tamil, MTL, Winslow); Note the Eezham Tamil place names, Peeli-ku’lam (tank getting water by an aqueduct, Oddusuddaan); Peeli-aa’ru (the stream functions as an aqueduct, Poaratheevuppattu) and Peeliyadi (the locality of an aqueduct, Trincomalee Town and Gravets).

Pal-kumbura: The paddy field in the mire; Harispattuwa division, Kandy district. Pal: mud, mire; (adjective) old, corrupt, rotten (Sinhala); Pazha: Old, decayed etc (Tamil, DED 3999, cognates in several Dravidian languages); Paazh: ruin, damage, corruption, waste etc (Tamil, 4110); Pa’l’lam: low land, ditch, pit etc (Tamil, DED 4016)

Podi-vee-kumbura: The paddy field for the cultivation of a small-grained paddy; Ja-Ela division, Gampaha district. Podi-vee: a kind of small-grained paddy (Sinhala); Podi: small (Tamil, DED 4259, cognates in several Dravidian languages)

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Kumpu’ru:

Kumpu’rup-piddi: The high ground in the paddy field stretch; a locality in Veala’nai in the Kayts Island, Jaffna district; Kuchchave’li division, Trincomalee district

Kumpu’ru-moolai: The paddy-field corner; Koa’ra’laippattu division, Batticaloa district

Kumpu’ru-ve’li: The paddy-field expanse; Ea’raavoor-pattu division, Batticaloa district

First published: Thursday, 23 August 2012, 18:20